Libya's last chemical weapons destroyed
- 10 years ago
Libyan officials and international diplomats monitor the destruction of chemical weapons at a facility in southern Libya.
These were amongst the last chemical weapons in the country's arsenal that were destroyed this week, finally bringing to an end a program that started about 10 years ago.
Libya began dismantling it's poison gas programme in 2004, but the operation stopped during the NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Western officials had been concerned the weapons would be discovered by Islamist militias as the country struggles with disorder in the years after the uprising.
Officials later praised the international cooperation on the project.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) AHMET UZUMCU, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS (OPCW), SAYING:
"Today we visited the chemical weapons destruction facility at Ruwagha. There we saw first-hand how international cooperation has successfully overcome the cons
These were amongst the last chemical weapons in the country's arsenal that were destroyed this week, finally bringing to an end a program that started about 10 years ago.
Libya began dismantling it's poison gas programme in 2004, but the operation stopped during the NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Western officials had been concerned the weapons would be discovered by Islamist militias as the country struggles with disorder in the years after the uprising.
Officials later praised the international cooperation on the project.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) AHMET UZUMCU, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS (OPCW), SAYING:
"Today we visited the chemical weapons destruction facility at Ruwagha. There we saw first-hand how international cooperation has successfully overcome the cons